I’m kind of a parable nerd.
That shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me. I just love a good story to address life’s
challenges in a way that’s entertaining enough to make me want to remember
it. One of my favorites has always been Carrot,
Egg, or Coffee.
You can read about it here
but the gist of it is this: a young
woman is discussing her troubles with her mother. Her mother takes her to the stove with three pots
of water. In one, she places a carrot,
she places an egg in another, and in the third, she places coffee beans and
sets them all to boil. She tells her
daughter that each of these items reacts differently when in hot water. The carrot starts strong but becomes weak and
soft. The egg, once vulnerable and
fragile, hardens. The coffee beans,
however, change the environment in which they’ve been placed. They blend with the hot water and share their
essence with it, releasing their flavor and aroma to create
something pleasant.
In this scenario, I’ve always considered myself to be one of
the coffee beans. Maybe that’s just
because I drink so much of the result of beans in hot water. It felt comfortable to me. Lately, I’m not so sure. In this past year, there’s been plenty of hot
water. There’s been plenty of coffee in
my cup and I appreciate that but I realize there’s yet another pot on the stove.
One of my other favorite parables is Stone
Soup. I’m sure you’ve heard many
different versions of it but it’s a tale as old as time. During a period of hardship – poverty and
famine – when people were concerned about how they would sustain themselves and
their loved ones. Suddenly, a mysterious
stranger arrives with a large pot of water.
The pot is put on the flame, and the stranger adds a stone and begins
stirring the soup.
People gathered around to watch. One by one, the townspeople came forward to
add something to the pot. One person had
some cabbage to offer, another, a potato, some beef, perhaps some spices. In the
end, there was a wonderful soup.
Nourishing, full of flavor, and just what the community needed.
This has been a hard time.
For my family, for myself, for many people I love. I just realized that while I’ve been pondering
coffee beans, eggs, and carrots, I’ve also been standing over and stirring a full
delicious pot of Stone Soup.
My townspeople continue to add to it. Each ingredient brings its own unique flavor –
some a bit salty, some very sweet, some healthy, some indulgent – but all
provide nourishment and comfort. What’s most
amazing about this magic pot is that it never seems to empty.
I love that coffee, for sure. I will continue to appreciate it. When my townspeople gather to share their ingredients with me, I’ll offer them a cup. When it comes time to feed my soul, I’ll have a big bowl of Stone Soup, please.
